Work (Kelly Rowland song)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Work"
Freemasons (remix)
Kelly Rowland singles chronology
"Ghetto"
(2007) 		"Work"
(2008) 		"Daylight"
(2008)

"Work" is a song by American recording artist

up-tempo party record that displays elements of funk and go-go, "Work" is composed in the key of E♭ minor
. Lyrically, the song speaks of a woman who affirms to her man that actions speak louder than words and that she is not a woman who is easy to get to. "Work" was acclaimed by music critics who highlighted the pulsating beat, suggestive lyrics, and the fast and stuttered style in which Rowland sings.

Intended to be released as Ms. Kelly's

dance pop remix by British DJ duo Freemasons
, which, according to Rowland, gave it "new life", "Work" enjoyed major commercial success and eventually became Rowland's best-charting solo single in years, reaching the top-ten in Australia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Turkiye and the United Kingdom.

The

deluxe edition reissue was released in 2008 and would introduce a temporary shift to dance music
in Rowland's sound in the late 2000s.

Writing and recording

"Work" was written by Rowland,

Miami, Rowland, Storch and Boyd began to work on melodic ideas for the song over an instrumental track by Storch.[3] With most of its lyrics being written after returning from a night out in the city, composing for "Work" was eventually finished in "like twenty minutes," according to Rowland.[3] The team returned the next day for vocal recording.[4] Vocal production was helmed by Rowland and Boyd, while engineering was overseen by Conrad Golding and Rommel Nino Villanueva with assistance by Vadim Chislov.[1] Mixing was handled Jason Goldstein; Christian Baker served as his assistant.[1] Storch and Boyd received producer and co-producer credits, respectively.[1]

Initially titled "Put It in",

verse-chorus form.[5] When asked if the song was about sexual intercourse in a 2008 interview with music website Popjustice, Rowland commented: "Oh no, it's actually very innocent [...] It's a little aggressive maybe. It's just a woman saying you can't catch me easy and you have to put in the work. It's about putting in work – that's it, of course.."[6] However, in 2010, she admitted that she previously shied away from explaining the true nature of the lyrics to the song, telling British gay lifestyle magazine Attitude: "The lyrics are very sexy, they were out of the box for me [...] But I've grown into my sexuality and I'm very comfortable with it. OK, yes, it means exactly what you think it means! I've never told anybody that, but yes, it's exactly what you think it is [...] I remember when the writer was writing it and he was like, 'Put it in, put it in', and I said, 'This is a nasty record'."[7]

Critical reception

"Work" was highly acclaimed by music critics. In his review for New York Post, writer Dan Aquilante named "Work" Ms. Kelly's best track, calling it an "upbeat record that soulfully delves into contemporary funk."[8] Spence D. of media website IGN observed that the song flipped the early musical script of the album "for a hot minute, going for a more driven, throbbing thrust over which Rowland's flitters and flirts."[9] He further said that "it showcases her strengths, but also still highlights her delicate vocal limitations. It's a sticky wicket that bumps while breaking down."[9] Guardian journalist Alex MacPherson wrote that "the caffeinated 'Work' is the best [of] three club bangers on Ms. Kelly,"[10] while That Grape Juice cited it as "one of many highlights; with a pulsating beat and deliberately suggestive lyrics, Rowland doesn’t hold back."[11] RWD editor Emmanuel Ezugwu found "Work" a "high energy track that will undoubtedly be a future club banger. The constant cow bells adds to the frenzied pace of the record and Kelly’s vocals are fast and stuttered."[12]

hooker on crystal meth."[17]

Commercial performance

Although Columbia Records intended to release "Work" as Ms. Kelly's lead single at one time or another,

UK Singles Chart based on digital sales alone, two weeks prior to the song's physical release.[19] The biggest-moving single of the week, it rose twenty-four places to number seven on January 26, 2008, marking Rowland's fifth non-consecutive top-ten entry. On February 3, "Work" reached its peak position at number four on that particular chart. It then spent six weeks within the top-ten, the longest stay of any of Rowland's singles,[19] and, as of November 2011, became Rowland's fourth best-selling solo single in the United Kingdom with 250,000 copies being sold.[20][21]

In Australia, it reached number six on the

German Black Charts. Following the less successful chart performances of "Like This" and "Ghetto", "Work" widely exceeded the success of its predecessor. It has since become the third highest-charting single of Rowland's solo career, behind her 2002 collaboration "Dilemma" and subsequent "Stole," entering foreign music markets where previous efforts failed to chart on.[24]

Music video

Screenshot of Kelly Rowland and her female dancers in the music video for "Work" (Los Angeles; 2007).

An accompanying

Bollywood-style dance numbers.[28] Rowland noted that the video was different from her previous videos since her styling introduced a sexier image of her.[27]

The imagery used in this video can be described as Rowland and her dancers posed in silhouette and shot against backdrops of vivid color and beam lighting. The beam lighting is used throughout the video to create a kaleidoscope effect which is used to break up each scene. During the last part of the clip the lighting schemes are reversed to show Rowland and her four dancers out of silhouette and performing a choreographed Bollywood-style routine against a black backdrop.[27][28] Two versions of the video were made; one with the original album version and one with the Freemasons radio edit.

"Work" was originally set to premiere during the September 10, 2007, episode of BET's

MTV.com after the estate of American minimalist Dan Flavin declared that similarities with Flavin's work had led to legal action, involving monetary damages for the estate.[30]

Remixes

In support of its single release,

Grammy-nominated work with Beyoncé,[34] Rowland's team approached Freemasons to rework her song after their club-oriented remix of "Déjà Vu" (2006) had received significantly more airplay on British radio than Beyoncé's R&B-led original.[31]
When asked about the collaboration, Rowland elaborated in an interview with British music magazine Blues & Soul: "I remember my A&R telling me what a great job they'd done with Beyoncé's remixes and that we should give them a try. So we did."[32]

Columbia Records arranged for "Work" to be released in a tandem, with both versions being serviced to European radio.[31] In addition, a music video for the Freemasons remix was released.[32] Critics were favorable in their reviews of the remix, with Popjustice calling it "quite brilliant."[35] As with "Déjà Vu", it tested well with audiences and soon surpassed Storch's original production on radio, becoming a top ten hit on the charts.[31] Rowland further commented on the remix in 2008: "I'm really grateful to the Freemasons for coming along [...], because it's something that I could have got. You always need an extra brain there and they just gave it a new vibe."[4] However, while the song enjoyed international success, it was not released stateside. When asked why it was not issued in the United States, Rowland answered: "I don't know, seriously, I feel like I didn't have anything to do with the success of 'Work' in Europe. The Freemasons remix took the song to the next level, fans kept requesting it on the radio. Look at Destiny's Child's 'Say My Name', the fans in the U.S. made it a single, they made it happen, I didn't have that little extra with 'Work' over there."[18] In 2018, Wiltshire named "Work" his favorite remix.[31]

Track listings

All tracks written by

Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, Scott Storch, and Kelly Rowland.[1]

European maxi single[36]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Work" (Freemasons Radio Edit)
3:11
2."Work" (Album Version)
3:28
3."Work" (Steve Pitron & Max Sanna Radio Edit)
3:32
4."Work" (Freemasons Dub Mix)
7:07
5."Work" (Music video)  
Total length:17:19
European / Australian single[37]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Work" (Freemasons Radio Edit)
3:11
2."Work" (Album Version)
3:28
Total length:6:39

Notes

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ms. Kelly.[1]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Work"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[79] Platinum 70,000^
Italy — 31,386[23]
United Kingdom (BPI)[80] Gold 400,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Work"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom January 18, 2008 Digital download (EP) RCA
[81]
January 21, 2008 Digital download
[82]
January 28, 2008 CD
[83]
February 18, 2008 Digital download (2-track)
[84]
United States February 26, 2008 Digital download (EP)
[85]
France March 3, 2008 CD Columbia
[86]
Germany March 7, 2008
Sony BMG
[49]
Australia March 15, 2008 Digital download (EP)
[87]
March 17, 2008 CD
[88]

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External links

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